The U.S. Army has burned through much of its stockpile of precision long-range missiles during the five-month war with Iran, according to an exclusive Reuters report, raising new concerns about America's military readiness if another major conflict breaks out.
Citing three people familiar with the data, Reuters reported the Army has used "virtually all" of its Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and newer Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM).
One source also told Reuters the U.S. has used a little less than half of its global supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles since the war began, though Reuters said it could not independently verify that figure. The Navy's Tomahawk missiles are launched from destroyers, cruisers and submarines and are designed to strike heavily defended targets without putting pilots at risk.
The precision-guided ATACMS and PrSM, which cost more than $1 million each, allow U.S. forces to strike targets from long distances and have become key weapons in modern warfare. ATACMS have also been supplied to Ukraine for strikes against targets inside Russia, while the PrSM is the Army's next-generation replacement with greater range.
Reuters reported the shrinking missile stockpile could force President Donald Trump to rely more heavily on riskier piloted bombing missions if he resumes large-scale attacks on Iran.
Trump launched the campaign alongside Israel in February after predicting the conflict would be brief. But as the war has dragged on, sources told Reuters they worry dwindling missile inventories could weaken the U.S. military's ability to deter adversaries such as China and Russia.
A fourth person familiar with the matter told Reuters that while U.S. Central Command has nearly exhausted the land-based missile inventory it had at the start of the war, it has continued replenishing supplies by drawing from stockpiles elsewhere around the world.
Asked about the reported stockpile data, the White House provided Reuters with a statement from Trump.
"The United States has far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need," Trump said.
"Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels," he added.
While analysts agree U.S. production of key munitions has increased significantly, they have also cautioned that current manufacturing levels may not be sufficient to sustain a prolonged, high-intensity conflict.
Posted by Stephen Sorace
